Applicator



1931- w. L. JOHNSON 1,819,898

APPLICATOR filed May "28,- 1950 W LJobnson Patented Aug. 18, 1931 warren STATES;

WALTER LAWRENCE JOHNSON, F LINCOLN, NEBRASKA APPLICATOR Application filed May 28,

My invention relates to applicators adapted and intended for the use of physicians and others for the application of medicament to nasal, vaginal, rectal and other cavities of t;- the body.

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of an applicator of uniform dosage, the device being so designed as to receive and to expel a measured quantity of the medica- 10 ment at a time.

Another of my objects is the provision of an applicator which is adapted to receive the medicament in measured quantity directly from a collapsible tube or a like container.

Another of the objects which I have in view is the provision of a bulb on the end of a tube, the bulb having the function of receiving and measuring the dose, the bulb being collapsible for expelling the medicament through the tube.

Another of my objects is the provision of a collapsible bulb on the end of a tube whose length is such that the bulb will also function as a stop.

Another of the objects of my invention is the provision of semiflexible tube in which the nozzle or discharge end is soft and pliable so as to result in no injury to the delicate tissues and membranes with which it comes into contact, the tube increasing in rigidity toward its base to facilitate its insertion into the cavity.

Having in view these objects and others which will be pointed out in the following description, I will now refer to the drawings,

in which Figure 1 is a view of the applicator showing also the medicament container and the v means whereby the container may be secured to the applicator for the purpose of filling the applicator.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the bulb and a portion of the tube of the applicator and showing also the closure cap for the applicator.

The applicator consists of a bulb and a tube 11. The bulb is more or less globular and its volume is such as to measure the prescribed dose. As shown in Figure 2, the tube 11 is integral with the bulb 10. The length of 1930. Serial No. 456,483,

the tube 11 is governed by the particular use to which the applicator is to be put. Its length is such that the discharge end or nozzle of the tube will reach the spot where the medicament is to be applied when the base of the bulb 10 serves as a stop against the further insertion of the tube 11 into the cavity. The tube 11 has a relatively small bore but the wall of the tube increases in thickness as the bulb is approached, as shown in Figure 2. The bulb and the tube are preferably formed from soft rubber or similar material so that the contents of the applicator may be ejected by pressing or collapsing the bulb 10. The discharge end of the tube 11 often comes in contact with delicate tissues and membranes and it is therefore important that this end of the tube be soft and pliable. The

tube must, however, be inserted into the cavity against more or less resistance and it is therefore essential that the inner end-of the tube be relatively stiff. This is accomplished by thickening the walls of the tube 11 at its junction with the bulb 10. The outer surface of the tube will thus taper throughout all or a portion of its length. In my preferred construction this tapering portion occupies about a third of the length of the tube but it may be made greater or less depending on the purpose to which the applicator is to be put. The medicament is in the form of a jelly or paste in a collapsible container such as that shown at 12 in Figure 1. Such containers have a nozzle 13 with a screwthreaded closure 14, all-of this being of common construction. My applicator is designed to re ceive the medicament directly from the collapsible container 12; For this purpose 1 provide a plug 15 which is fitted into thebulb 10. The plughas an aperture 16 at its inner end and a screw threaded aperture 17 at its outer end. The screw threaded aperture 17 is designed to receive the screw threaded nozzle 13 of the collapsible container 12. The plug 15 is further provided with flanges 18 on its inner and outer ends for the purpose of firmly securing it in the bulb 10. A closure cap 19 is further provided for seating within'the screw threaded aperture 17 when the bulb has been fi led, Seated within the bottom of the screw threaded aperture 17 is a washer 20 which is preferably made from cork or similar compressible material to form a seat for the closure 19 or for the nozzle 13. The washer 20 is provided with a central aperture 21 in alignment with the aperture 16 of the plug 15. The plug 15 may be made of metal or hard rubber or bakelite or any other suitable material.

In use, the closures 14 and 19 are first removed from the container 12 and the plug 15 respectively and the nozzle 13 is then screwed into the plug 15 until its end is seated against the washer 20. Pressure on the container 12 will then force the contents into the bulb 10. The bore of the tube 11 is relatively small but the medicament will be forced through when the bulb 10 is filled. The pressure is removed from the container 12 as soon as the medicament reaches the discharge end of the tube 11. The quantity of medicament is governed al most entirely by the volume of the bulb 10, that in the tube 11 being almost negligible. The container 12 is then removed and the closure 19 is then applied to close the bulb. The tube 11 is then inserted intothe cavity until further insertion is stopped by the bulb 1O acting as a stop. The compression of the bulb will then discharge the medicament through the bore of the tube 11 at the spot determined by the length of the tube 11. The small quantity of the contents within the bore of the tube 11 may be expelled by a second or third pressure of the bulb 10.

The device is of exceedingly simple construction but it performs its function much more effectively than do many similar devices having more complicated construction. The bulb 10 has three functions: it serves to measure the close, it serves to expel its contents and it serves as astop to. limit the insertion of the tube 11. The tube 11 with its tapering wall is sufficiently rigid to overcome any resistance to its insertion but its discharge or nozzle end is sufliciently soft and pliable to prevent any injury to any delicate membranes or tissues with which it comes in contact. The applicator is moreover easily sterilized and cleaned. All that is necessary is to insert it into sterile water, hot or cold, which is worked into and out of the applicator by compressing and releasing the bulb several times. Another important advantage of my applicator is that it eliminates the objectionable .air bubbles which occur in nearly all of the prior appli cators. The medicament is forced directly into the bulb which it fills before it begins to flow through the narrow bore of the tube.

The applicator is adapted for use for a variety of purposes. The size and shape will necessarily vary according to the specific use to which the applicator is to be put. The bulb is always made of a size to receive the prescribed dose of the medicament while the tube must always be of such a length as to deliver the medicament at the desired spot when the bulb serves as a stop to limit the insertion of the tube. lNhile the device is intended primarily for the application of medicament into various cavities of the human body, it is obvious that it is equally applicable in veterinary work, it being only necessary to alter the dimensions of the bul and tube in accordance with the use to which the applicator is to be put.

Having thus described my invention in such full, clear, and exact terms that its construction and operation will be readily understood by others skilled in the art to which it pertains, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

An applicator for discharging measured quantities of semi-soft medicament into body cavities, said applicator including a bulb and nozzle of a capacity for temporarily retaining a predetermined quantity of the semi-soft medicament, said bulb being provided with a screw threaded aperture for releasable connection with a collapsible tube of the medlcainent whereby pressure on the collapsible tube will fill said bulb and said nozzle with themedicament, and a screw threaded plug closure'for the aperture of a said bulb, said nozzle being formed from soft and pliable material and having walls ofdecreasing thickness from its base to 1ts tip and being of a predetermined length to limlt the distance of its insertion into the body cavity.

In testimony whereof I aflix'my signatu e.

WVALTER LAWRENCE JOHNSON. 

